Mastering the art of error…

Paul M. Michaud MD, CPE Here is a mindset shift I learned in my radiology residency… We tend to remember the things that go wrong more than we remember the things that go right. Think back to when you took a test, and immediately after the test, you began looking up the answers to the...

You are the biggest risk to your future is…

Paul M. Michaud MD, CPE “The biggest risk to your future is not your competition. It’s the distractions you insist on keeping in your life rather than doing the things you know you should be doing… but aren’t. People delay doing what they don’t like for longer than it takes to do them.” Here a...

7 Dirty Words Part 3: Disarming Your Inner Critic by Breaking Free from “Except” and “Must”

Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction “I did well, except for that one mistake.”“I must get this perfect, or I’ve failed.” Sound familiar? Although these statements might seem harmless, they have our next two of the seven dirty words. “Except” and “Must” are red flags for self-sabotage. In this post we’ll not only...

7 Dirty Words Part 2: The Trap of Absolutes: How “Always” and “Never” Limit Your Thinking

Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction “Always” and “Never”: Opposites That Work the Same Way “They always leave me out.” “I’ll never be good enough.” At first glance, “always” and “never” might seem like opposites. One declares constancy, while the other implies impossibility. Yet, these words share a common function: they are absolutes...

Stop Shoulding All Over Yourself: 7 Dirty Words Part 1

Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Take control of  the “Shoulds”: Aligning Expectations with Reality In our introductory installment of “The seven dirty words” we discussed a general approach to building mindfulness and becoming aware of using the words. Our mindfulness exercise focused on assessing  your personal energy level and emotional state preceding the...

Your problem is you are driven by a fear of insufficiency and you are hoping that the next thing will be THE answer…

Paul M. Michaud MD, CPE How do I know? Because… You have already achieved goals you said would make you happy. Read that again… YOU have already achieved goals YOU said would make YOU happy. So… How can you presume that your happiness sits on the other side of your next set of goals given...

You are allowed to dislike some things people do while loving all of the rest of them.

Paul M. Michaud MD, CPE Sometimes when we are struggling with a relationship it is because we are defining the other person by their worst moments.   The problem with this approach is that there is no one that can live up to a perfect standard. Other people are complex and imperfect… just like you. You...